How the Detroit Lions win the NFC North and a postseason spot in Week 16
Following a disappointing loss to the Chicago Bears, the Detroit Lions made a huge comeback against the Denver Broncos in Week 15, winning 42-17.
Jared Goff had his best game of the season against Denver after a lackluster showing against Chicago. He completed 24 of 34 passes for 278 yards and tied a career-high with five touchdown passes, three of which went to rookie tight end Sam LaPorta.
With the win, the Lions achieved their first 10-win total since 2014 and moved one step closer to winning the division title—a three-decade drought that they can finally break in Week 16—since 1993.
However, Dan Campbell and company can still guarantee a spot in the NFL Playoffs for the first time since 2016 even if Detroit loses the division this week. Here is a brief overview of every Lions Week 16 scenario that could win the game.
It’s easy for the Lions to win the NFC North in Week 16. They will host a postseason game in the Motor City for the first time in thirty years if they defeat the Minnesota Vikings on the road. And that’s it. For Detroit to win the division, only that one scenario can come true.
Naturally, the Vikings, who are fighting for their own postseason spot, will be giving it their all. Even though Minnesota’s overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 15 didn’t help, the team is still very much in the running at 7-7 and came into Week 16 ranked No. 6 in the overall NFC standings.
With a victory on Sunday, Kevin O’Connell’s team will also remain in the running for the NFC North championship. The Vikings and Lions rematch in Week 18, with Minnesota trailing Detroit by three games with three games remaining. Thus, both teams have a lot riding on this Week 16 matchup.
But even if the Lions fall short on Sunday, they still have a chance to secure a postseason berth, and by the time they take the field, that chance may have been achieved. That all depends on how Thursday night’s game between the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Rams plays out. Here’s how the Lions secure a postseason spot in Week 16 even if they don’t win the division.
As previously stated, the Lions play the Vikings twice more: once on Sunday in Minnesota and once in Detroit on the last day of the season.
They play the Dallas Cowboys in between, who lead the league with a +171 point differential at home and are unbeaten at AT&T Stadium this season.
Once more, this race is far from over, even though the Lions lead the Vikings by three games. The NFC North could become very interesting if Minnesota wins on Sunday. It would be prudent for Detroit to simply settle the score in Week 16 and move on.
Unless otherwise noted, all statistics are provided by Pro Football Reference.
The Packers defense is crushing their hopes of making the playoffs.
Jordan Love has come a long way this season, but DC Joe Barry may find himself under pressure due to the defense’s incapacity to produce big plays.
The Green Bay Packers and their hordes of supporters were on a high just two weeks ago. They had just defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, the Super Bowl champions, and were riding high on a three-game winning streak as the postseason approached. Tommy DeVito then managed to score 24 points, cruelly ending those hopes of making the playoffs.
After Baker Mayfield shredded the Packers at Lambeau Field in Week 15, things abruptly got worse. Green Bay is currently on the outside looking in with more questions than answers following two straight mysterious losses. This is the story of how it all went wrong and what the Packers can do to turn things around.
The long list of top defensive draft picks the Packers have up and down their roster has made media members drool before each of the last two seasons. When the season finally arrives, none of that talent manifests to the extent that was anticipated. The seemingly loaded group is ranked t-17th in points allowed, t-22nd in yards allowed, and t-22nd in total sacks, and that trend is continuing.
Head coach Matt LaFleur has let go of three coordinators in almost five years. Joe Barry appears to have a strong chance of finishing fourth. If not, in the middle of a Wisconsin winter, Green Bay might be set on fire by Packers supporters.
DeVito repeatedly scorched the New York Giants with a straightforward quarterback read option. For the Giants, that is nothing new. With Daniel Jones, they did precisely that.
However, Barry kept failing to give DeVito credit. It’s unbelievable that an undrafted rookie quarterback could lead New York on an eight-play, 57-yard drive in one minute and thirty-three seconds and still lose the game in prime time.
If that was awful, it seems unconscionable that Baker “freaking” Mayfield would enter Lambeau Field and record the only perfect passer rating ever recorded by an opposing quarterback in Green Bay history. Reporters were asking LaFleur a lot of questions concerning Barry’s work for a reason. LaFleur tried his hardest to adhere to coach speech, but he was frustrated, so he said so:
That quote’s “they” most definitely refers to the person who wrote the defensive strategy. This season, the Packers have also allowed more than 200 yards of rushes on four occasions. They attempted to end their run-stopping woes against Tampa Bay.
That only made soft zones more accessible for Mayfield to completely destroy. To make matters worse, the Bucs managed to gain over 100 yards of total yardage before compromising to only 99 yards. Even in clear-cut second- or third-and-long passing situations that Green Bay forced Tampa Bay into, Mayfield found open receivers on nine passes that went for 20 yards or more
